Nun run school floated for Congress Street killed

Published 12:46 pm, Thursday, December 1, 2016

FAIRFIELD — Though no formal plans had been submitted to town officials, a proposal for a private, Catholic K-12 school for a Greenfield Hill property has been withdrawn.

The proposal from the Sisters of the Company of the Savior for 28 acres at 4900 Congress St. prompted the creation of a new neighborhood group, “Neighbors for Fairfield Preservation.”

On Monday, attorney John Fallon said the Congress Street property was no longer under consideration by the order.

“We have been engaged in a comprehensive due diligence process of a property on Congress Street in Fairfield County in order to access its suitability as a location for a school,” a release from the order said. “After careful consideration and professional advice, we have determined that the various engineering challenges regarding the Congress Street property makes development of the contemplated school on that site unfeasible.”

The proposal would have required an inland wetlands permit, as well as a special exception permit from Town Plan and Zoning.

The nuns, who have been providing education for girls through the Mater Salvatoris private college preparatory schools, said they will continue to look for a suitable Fairfield County location for the school. According to the order’s website, the nuns teach in some Bridgeport Diocesan schools.

A release sent earlier this month from from the neighborhood group said opposition wasn’t against the school itself.

“The overwhelming sentiment of everyone that we’ve heard from is that it’s not what it is, but where it is,” said NFFP President Liz Zarrilli.

According to Vision Government Solutions, the property has 3 homes on it, and is appraised at $4.76 million. It was purchased in 2010 for $6.6 million and is owned by trustees Konrad Sonnenfeld and Melissa B. Papageorge.